A photo-laminating stereolithography method (which is referred to hereinafter as a stereolithography method) forms a three-dimensional model based on data of cross sections that are obtained by slicing a three-dimensional model to be formed into a plurality of layers. Normally, a light ray is firstly applied to the liquid level of liquid photocurable resin in a region corresponding to the lowermost cross-section. The light-exposed part of the liquid level of the liquid photocurable resin is thereby cured, so that a cured resin layer in one cross section of a three-dimensional model is formed. Then, liquid photocurable resin that is not cured yet is coated at a given thickness on the surface of the cured resin layer. In this coating process, it is typical to soak the cured resin layer at a given thickness in the liquid photocurable resin that is filled in a resin bath. Further, a relatively small amount of the photocurable resin may be applied all over the surface using a recoater every time one cured resin layer is formed. After that, a laser beam traces a given pattern on the surface, thus curing a light-exposed part of the coating layer. The cured part is integrally laminated onto the cured layer below. Subsequently, the light exposure and the coating of liquid photocurable resin are repeated, with a cross section treated in the light exposure process being changed with an adjacent cross section, thereby forming a desired three-dimensional model (cf. Patent documents 1 and 2).
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 56-144478
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 62-35966